


The Devil You Know

by WhyNotFly



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Discussions of Jon, Kissing, M/M, Martin and Elias are in cahoots and also in each others pants, set during season 2, the bastard is genuinely in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27957401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhyNotFly/pseuds/WhyNotFly
Summary: Martin wants to slam the door of Elias’ office closed, but instead he merely eases it gently shut until the lock clicks into place, because at leastone of themhas to be professional about this, and itclearlyisn’t going to be Elias.Martin and Elias discuss the best way to handle their shared project.  Disagreements only make the reconciliation all the sweeter.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Elias Bouchard
Comments: 7
Kudos: 71
Collections: MartinElias Week 2020





	The Devil You Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [acemartinblackwood (semnai)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/semnai/gifts).



Martin wants to slam the door of Elias’ office closed, but instead he merely eases it gently shut until the lock clicks into place, because at least _one of them_ has to be professional about this, and it _clearly_ isn’t going to be Elias.

“What is that look for?” Elias asks, cocking an eyebrow as if he isn’t perfectly aware of the entirely unnecessary thorn he’s driven directly into Martin’s side.

Martin stalks forward into Elias’ office and brings both his hands down hard onto the back of the chair in front of his desk. “I was in the middle of a _very_ important moment with Jon. What could possibly have been critical enough that you had to come down to the archives yourself and pull me away?”

“Oh is it Jon, now?” Elias says, innocently and _obviously_ avoiding the question. He strides around behind his desk and settles down in his chair, leaning back and stretching his neck from one side to the other. “What happened to _our Archivist?_ ”

“That’s all well and good for you, big bad boss man,” Martin snaps, flinging a hand out towards Elias dismissively, “But everything’s going to go up in smoke if _I_ happen to slip up and say it. He’s actually supposed to _like_ me.”

“Of course he’s going to like you.” Elias smiles in a way that honestly should feel patronizing, but Martin’s pointlessly soft heart can’t help but find endearing. “How could anyone not like you?”

“You aren’t going to weasel your way out of this argument with compliments, Elias.” In spite of his words, Martin feels his adrenaline rush losing its edge, and he steps around to the front of the chair and collapses down into it.

“Of course not, darling.” Elias brings a hand down and nudges the papers on his desk into a perfect stack. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

The pet name lands like a dove on an electric wire, settling oddly in Martin’s chest. Even after all this time, he finds it difficult to accept the fact that Elias _likes_ him. Loves him, maybe. Martin knows it is true, but the fact of it is hard to hold inside his head. Like a mental grocery list with so many items that you only know that you’ve forgotten something, but not what was forgotten. Sometimes, Martin catches himself awake after Elias has fallen asleep, looking over at his slack and gentle face nestled on his pillow, thinking, _I am in love with a man I have never met._

But he is in love, and loved in return, and that is miracle enough.

“Jon is just in a very delicate place right now,” Martin says slowly, as though Elias is a child instead of a centuries old demigod who really ought to know better. “Between finding Gertrude’s body and the Sasha thing stalking around down there, he’s looking everywhere to try and find any kind of plot. And need I remind you that _we_ have a plot we’d rather him not find out about?”

“Jon’s paranoia is like a toddler lashing out because he found out one day he’ll have to work a full time job. He knows enough to be upset, but his mind is far too underdeveloped to comprehend what he is upset _about_.” Elias shrugs, unconcerned, and swivels his chair in so that he can pull his fountain pen from its perch, tapping it once against the brass stand in a physical tic so deeply ingrained it has followed him through five different pairs of hands.

“Jon confronted me _just now_ about my lying to him.”

“And you improvised beautifully.” Elias’ eyes flick up from where he’s leaning just a bit over his papers and he smirks at Martin in that way that makes both his heart patter and his jaw clench in annoyance. “I enjoyed your performance of pleading with him not to tell me about your CV.”

“Oh, so you were watching?”

“Just fulfilling my duties as a good supervisor.” Elias chuckles through his nose. “Had to know if I needed to _fire you_ , after all.”

“Fuck off,” Martin snaps. “So you knew that he was suspicious of me, and your first instinct was to come down in person to call me up here for a pointless meeting?”

“What, you don’t like to see me?”

Martin grips his fingers tight around the arms of his chair to keep from doing something regretfully satisfying to Elias’s perfect cheekbones. “He’s going to realize we’re colluding.”

“Oh, he is not.” Elias waves Martin’s concerns away with a flick of his pen. “It’s much harder than you think to see the machinations from the inside. In fact, this little scene played out in our favor. Jon thinks he’s discovered your secret and now he trusts you more than ever.”

“I would have felt a little better about all of this if it had actually been planned,” Martin complains, trying and failing to keep his voice from slipping into a whine. He knows where this particular argument ends. They’ve been down this road a dozen times, and Martin always loses.

“I know it’s hard to accept,” Elias says patiently, as he has said a thousand times before, “but you’re still very new to all of this. Trust me, having a detailed plan is only going to let another player topple us. Adaptability is key.”

“I _know_ ,” Martin sulks, folding his arms and hunching over them. “It’s just, it’s _your_ scheme. You ought to put in at least a little effort.”

Elias sighs, and Martin hears the pen hit the desk with a click. “Come here, Martin.”

Martin glances up to see Elias actually sliding his papers off to the side, clearing away the work he’d been half-pretending to do as Martin yelled at him. When he finishes, Elias leans back in his high-backed chair and drapes his arms wide over the armrests expectantly. And well, there’s only one thing left for Martin to do at that point. 

It is familiar, like habit, like muscle memory, to sit down in Elias’s lap and curl up against his chest. Martin likes the view from Elias’s chair. Makes him feel like a precious thing, surrounded and protected by someone much more powerful than him, yet infinitely gentle when he chooses. Elias’s hand smooths up the back of Martin’s neck and scratches gently at the base of his scalp.

“Do you know why I asked you to help me end the world, Martin?”

“Because you needed an inside man and your four foot wide, solid oak desk doesn’t exactly scream _relatable coworker?_ ” The snark loses a bit of its bite when Martin says it from his position tucked into the side of Elias’s neck, but he refuses to give up ground.

The corners of Elias’s lips quirk up. “I didn’t _need_ anything, my love. That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to impress upon you. Your role was never part of my plan, but I remained _adaptable_.”

Elias brings his other hand up, gently cupping Martin’s cheek. “I saw something in you that I wanted.”

“My ass?” Martin cocks an eyebrow.

Elias pinches the meat of Martin’s cheek. “Don’t be flippant when I’m trying to compliment you. I’ve been the head of this institute for many, many years, and you are the cleverest employee that has passed through these doors by far. In your eyes, I see a reflection of myself.”

“Mmm,” Martin hums, amused. “No wonder you find me so attractive.”

Elias purses his lips in a scowl. “I fear I’ve given you far too much leeway. You’ve become dangerously irreverent.”

All Martin can do in response is lean forward and press his lips to Elias’s. They kiss slowly, tenderly, more consumed with the calming familiarity of each other than any kind of passion. Martin knows the shape of Elias’s mouth under his as well as he knows how to write in the dark. Instinct and practice combined.

“You’re lucky _our Archivist_ hasn’t developed mind reading yet,” Martin murmurs into Elias’s mouth, barely pulling back enough to form the words. “He’d be crushed if he knew you thought I was smarter than him. You know how he looks up to you.”

“I said you were cleverer,” Elias murmurs back, and Martin can feel him smiling against his skin, “I don’t recall using the word _smarter_.”

“Oh, bugger off.” Martin tries to shove Elias away, but finds himself trapped into close proximity with that insufferable, handsome, grinning face by a warm arm wrapped around his waist.

“Now, is that any way to talk to the man you love, Martin?”

“You know what?” Martin grabs a handful of Elias’s tie. The fine silk crumples in his grip, and he thinks as loudly as he can about how much he hopes it will wrinkle. “I can’t wait for the part coming up where I get to send you to prison.”

“ _If_ you manage it,” Elias corrects in that insufferably smug tone of his, brushing a wayward curl off Martin’s forehead. “After all, we must always be ready to adapt.”

Elias smiles lazily as he lets himself be pulled forward into another kiss. This one, Martin intends to have _teeth._

**Author's Note:**

> Happy early Christmas Semn!!! Thanks for letting me give this to you early to double up on contributing to your ship week. I hope I did a version of the boys that appeals to you <3 you bring so much joy to my days, I adore you.
> 
> Happy Martinelias week! Catch me on tumblr [@apatheticbutterflies](https://apatheticbutterflies.tumblr.com/), I post lots of writing!!!


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